Matting.



PATENTED MAY 17, 1904.

A. S. BURNELL.

MATTING.

APPLICATION FILED 001210, 1903.

H0 MODEL- Patented May 1'7, .1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR S. BURNELL, OF MARSHALLTOWN, IOWA.

MATTING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent Ho. 760,101, dated May 1'7, 1904.

Application filed October 16, 1903. Serial No. 177,269. (No specimens.) 4

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR S. BURNELL, a resident of Marshalltown, in the county of Marshall and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Matting, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to matting made of sections flexibly connected and usually used on floors, and designs to provide an improved construction which can be readily formed and which comprises sections formed of long sinuously-extending strips and intermediate sections formed of links formed of short strips of metal, thus embodying long strips to assist the cross pivots in giving rigidity and short strips which can be cheaply produced and which form intermediate sections, which flexibly connect the sections formed of long strips.

The invention consists in the several novel features hereinafter set forth, and more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan of a mat embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective of one of the strips which form the sections. Fig. 3 is a perspective of one of the strips which form the links of the in termediate sections. Fig. 4E is a plan embodying a modified form of link.

The rigidly-formed sections A are each formed of a long strip of flatmetal a, extending sinuously across the section and bent to form longitudinally'extending or side portions at and transverse bars or end portions a, alternately arranged at opposite ends. The sides are perforated at each end, as at a", to receive the pivot-rods C, which connect the long strip of one section with the next section.

Sections B, formed of a series of links 6, are intermediate the sections A, so the matting will consist of alternately-arranged sections A and B. Each link 6 is preferably rectangular to fit within and extend across the space between the side portions. The long strips of sections A are alternately arranged with respect to each other, so their respective open spaces for rece1v1ng the link ends are opposite each other. Each link 6 comprises a pair of short strips each bent to form a long leg 6, a short leg 6 and an end bar or transverse connecting portion 6". The long legs of the strips form the sides of a link I), which lit against the side portions of the strips of adjacent sections, and the end bars extend across the space between the side portions and laterally position the strips. In such arrangement the free ends of the long legs are confined between a long strip a and a short leg 6 of a strip 5 and are thus eifect ively secured against lateral play or strain. Each strip 5 has its legs perforated, as at Z)", to receive pivot-rods U, which extend alternately through the side portions A of the long strip of one section and through the ends of the links of the next section, and thus the sections are flexibly connected.

In Fig. 4 there is illustrated a modification in which the links of the intermediate sections are each formed of asingle strip of metal bent into rectangular shape and to form the sides or legs 6, end bars 6 and a short leg 5.

If desired, the mat can be provided with ornamental border-strips e and c.

The invention provides a construction for matting in which both long strips and short strips are employed and which are connected bythe pivot-rods and in such manner that the short strips or links are spaced and held without rigidly securing the short strips to the long strips.

The invention is not to be understood as restricted to the details shown and described, since these can be modified by the skilled mechanic without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. Matting comprising the combination of sections formed of long sinuously-extending cross-strips of flat metal, and intermediate sections each formed of a plurality of links pivotally connected at each end to the next section.

2. Matting comprising the combination of sections formed of long, sinuously-extending cross-strips of flat metal and intermediate sections each comprising a series of links pivotally connected at each end to the next section, the long strips of the sections adjacent the link-section, having longitudinally-extending portions between Which spaces are formed, the links having their ends held Within said spaces and secured laterally.

3. Matting comprising the combination of sections formed of long sinuously-extending strips of flat metal, intermediate sections each comprising a plurality of links, each link comprising a pair of legs and connecting end portions and pivots connecting the legs to the long strips of the adjacent sections.

Matting comprising the combination of sections formed of sinuously-extendifigstrips' pivotal connection between the legs of the links of one section and the long strip of the next section.

ARTHUR S. BURNELL.

Witnesses:

FRED GnRLAoH, ISABEL GERLAoH. 

